[unreadable] The First Gastrointestinal Eosinophil Research Group Symposium will be attended by basic and clinical scientists from around the world who focus their work on the eosinophilic granulocyte, and/or have an interest in the role of eosinophils in gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. This Symposium will provide the basis for a long-standing commitment from the Organizers to identifying important targets for the [unreadable] ongoing study of eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs). As this is the initial Symposium, it will [unreadable] focus on developing a research agenda for collaborative studies. Future Symposia will focus on reporting ongoing studies related to EGIDs and developing further collaborative studies. According to [unreadable] the Program Announcement PA-06-074, this Symposium falls under the categories of Research [unreadable] Development, Dissemination Conference, and Research / Career Development. 1) The overall goals of the Symposium are To provide an outstanding venue for bringing together basic scientists addressing cellular and molecular aspects of eosinophil biology to better understand the roles of eosinophils in pathophysiology of eosinophil gastrointestinal diseases; 2) To convene basic and clinical investigators to better identify and understand the roles of eosinophils in gastrointestinal disease to foster development of new therapeutics and diagnostic tests that are based on sound basic science and an understanding of eosinophil biology; 3) To initiate opportunities for promising young scientists (graduate students, postdoctoral trainees and faculty at an early stages of their career development), female scientists, and underrepresented minorities to discuss their research with established investigators and expert clinicians in the field of eosinophil gastrointestinal diseases and related research. In addition, [unreadable] this forum will provide opportunities for in-depth discussions with invited speakers towards the [unreadable] all-important goals of enabling cross-fertilization between basic and translational/applied aspects of eosinophil biology as they pertain to the gastrointestinal tract and the encouragement and establishment of collaborative research interactions and projects; 4) To present the latest available information on cellular molecular biology and immunobiologic aspects of the eosinophil in other diseases; 5) To develop a forum for identifying current understanding and new approaches in the clinical evaluation and treatment of EGIDs, and identify current issues, unanswered questions and [unreadable] future directions for gastrointestinal eosinophil research. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]